Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-31
EXPRESS COMPANIES.
The Interstate Commerce Co'nmAs
sion,s Decision Concerning Them.
Reinr in Doubt As to Whether the
Act Applies to Them,
They Refer the Subject to Congress u
Resolve the Doubt.
Arguments Of the Express Companies
Considered In Detail
Tho Public Entitled to lnformatlOn
About Their Methods of Business.

| WASHINGTON, December 20. - ne loF"al
| decision of the Interstate Commerce Com
! mission of the question whether express
companies are subject to the provisions OF
the act to regulate was an
nounced to-day. The names and %organiza-
lions of the various express companies DO
ing business in the United States are
given, some OF them being corporations
under State charters. Some are joint
stock companies differing little from part
nership, some being bureaus organized as
a branch of railroad service and some a
combination OF several railroads for the
transaction of the gross business OF their
lines. There is nothing in the nature OF
express business which prevents it's being
carried on by an ordinary partnership. or
even by an individual, provided the neces-
sary contracts can be obtained with trans
p~ortation lines. The most usual contract
is one which pays to the railroad COM
pany 40 per cent Of the gross receipts OF
the express company, but various other
methods of settlement are employed. The
arguments urged by the express compa-
nies against their being treated as subject
to the act are considered in detail. The
fact that they performed many other serv-
ices besides the transportation OF prop
erty, such as the collection OF debts, ETC.,
is
NOT REGARDED AS A REASON
why the act should not be treated as ap-
plying to their business as common car
riers since many railroad companies also
have other business besides that of rams
porting. Various sections of the act are
considered with relation to the express
business and are found to be in theory as
applicable thereto as to the business of
railroad companies. In fact, express ON
panies claim that they already abide by
the rules established in the act. Requiring
annual reports from the express compa-
MES is said to be a matter concerning which
the public have a right to be informed, and
Congress may particularly desire the know
ledge. At present little is known about the
amount OF their capital stock, their funded
debt or the money invested in their plant
or business. The difficulty of framing
schedules for the information of the public
is not found to be greater than in the case
OF the railroad companies which have
COMPLIED WITH THE ACT.
Three express companies have 30 complied,
and their schedules have been placed on
file. The bringing of express companies
within the provisions of the act is found to
be practicable, and on some accounts desi-
rable. Express companies which are simply
branches of O railroad organized and
operated through it's ordinary staff or
by an independent bureau or by combina-
ton with other railroad companies are
found to be covered by the provisions of
the act. In case OF independently organized
companies, however, operating I'M
der contracts for transportation, the Ian
guage OF the act as it now stands is found
to be 81 framed as not to bring them dis
tinc,ly within its provisions. The words
wholly by railroad" in the first section do
not well define the business of express com. |
which use very largely the service OF
teams, messengers, stage coaches and
steamboats,.
THE POOLING SECTION
applies to the pooling of business OF
railroads. The other sections speak
Of railroads continually and of depots and
the language not being applicable
10 the business OF express companies except |
under q somewhat strained construction. |
The express business was well known at
The time OF the passage OF the act and has
oeen frequently mentioned by name in |
statutes. The omission to
here is significant. The preliminary
Investigation by the Inter State Commerce
did not include express COM
oanies. Upon all these considerations. the
has thought best to refer the
to Congress as in any case OF doubt
ul jurisdiction it is better that the legisla.
i've body should resolve the doubt.
SILVER DOLLAR ISSUE.
The issue of standard silver dollars from
he minis during the week ending D, GEM
'er 4 was $675,759. The shipments of
silver coin since the 1st Instant
mount to $640. O51. The time allowed
y contract with the iron works at Balti- !
nore for the completion OF Gunboat No. 2
ae expired. As yet all the frames of the
essel have not been placed, and it will re-
uire six months more to complete the
essel